(SOFIA) - A US diplomat on Tuesday spoke of the importance of a unified European energy stance on the eve of Bulgarian-Russian energy talks in Sofia.

In talks with Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, the US special envoy for EU affairs and Eurasian energy "underlined the need for Europe to be active and unified when drawing up its energy policy," a government statement said.

Boyden Gray meanwhile expressed "US support for Bulgaria's turning into a regional and European transit, distribution and logistics centre for gas and oil."

Bulgaria has already confirmed its participation in two Russia-led pipeline projects -- the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline for channelling oil from the Caspian sea to the Aegean and the South Stream gas pipeline to bring Russian gas to Europe.

The country that has long voiced ambitions to become an energy hub in the Balkans has meanwhile supported the EU's flagship Nabucco gas pipeline aimed at reducing the bloc's reliance on Russian supplies.

Stanishev confirmed on Tuesday "the need for increasing diversification of sources and energy routes and noted that South Stream cannot be an alternative to Nabucco," the statement said.

Gray's talks in Sofia were also said to be "in relation to increasing interest from a number of states in the country's energy policy" and "the organisation next spring in Bulgaria of a summit on the issues of European energy security and the gas projects for (supplying) Europe."

A Russian diplomat in Sofia recently confirmed that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plans to attend the forum to which the US president has also been invited.

The US energy envoy's visit also came on the eve of the biggest Russian industrial forum in Bulgaria for the past 15 years that will focus among other topics on further strengthening economy and energy ties between Moscow and one of its staunchest Soviet-era allies.

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